Cosmo Mansion and Cosmo Residence (also called “Jakarta Residence”) are two midrange residential towers located above the mall Thamrin City in Central Jakarta. Completed in 2005 by PT Jakarta Realty, there are 627 units between 38m2 and 101m2.

In 2019, I stayed for a few days in a 1-bedroom apartment in Cosmo Mansion and this is my full review of it:

Note: There is a third tower above Thamrin City called Cosmo Terrace. It was built by the same company, but I wrote about it in a separate review because it is more recent and it has its own facilities. More surprisingly, you’ll also find landed homes on top of the mall in a complex called Cosmo Park.

Location:

Neighborhood and Transportation

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is Cosmo Mansion/Residence located?

Cosmo Mansion is located in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, an important trading and shopping area. It is a contrasted neighborhood, with luxury malls and 5-star hotels only a few hundred meters away from low-income houses.

In terms of location, it is very central, which is why those towers are so popular. You are only 500 meters from Bunderan HI, an important roundabout between Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Thamrin. It is also walking distance to the busy malls Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia.

Unfortunately, it isn’t so easy to get around in this area because of the many one-way streets and U-turns. For instance, to go from the German Embassy on Jalan Sudirman to Cosmo Mansion, you’ll need to do over 3 kilometers by car (even though they are only 1 kilometer apart). During rush hour, it may take close to 1 hour to do so.

Here how it looks like on a map:

German Embassy to Cosmo Mansion lobby – Google Maps

How does it look like around the apartment?
The surroundings of Cosmo Mansion and Cosmo Residence are bustling with activity. There are always some people around who are either shopping, working, living or meeting others in this area. Expect frequent traffic jams.

Surroundings of Cosmo Mansion and Cosmo Residence in Jakarta

These photos were taken from my apartment in Cosmo Mansion:

Jalan Thamrin – View from Cosmo Mansion

Tanah Abang – View from Cosmo Mansion

How far is the property from:
– Jakarta Airport (CGK): 60 minutes
– Grand Indonesia Mall: 5 minutes
– Sudirman Business District: 10-15 minutes
– Kota Tua: 35 minutes
– Kemang: 45 minutes

Public transportation and access to highways:
– Nearest Transjakarta halt: Tosari (800 meters away) – with the lines 1, 2A, 3A, 6A to destinations like Kota, Blok M, Kalideres, Ragunan, Monas, Pulo Gadung and Senayan.
– Nearest MRT station: Bunderan HI (1 km away)
– Nearest train station: Karet (1.1 km away), Tanah Abang (1.6 km away), and Sudirman (2 km away)
– Train station to airport: Sudirman Baru (2 km away). Note that in front of Thamrin City, you can also take a DAMRI bus to Jakarta airport for IDR40,000.
– Nearest toll road: Jakarta Inner Ring Road (20 minutes away)
– Sidewalks: There is one going to Grand Indonesia mall

Landmarks Nearby

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Malls:
Thamrin City is just below the apartment complex. It is targeting the Indonesian middle-class, with many cheap, non-branded shops, most of which sell Muslim wear (Hijab) and batiks. There is also a Hypermart supermarket, a food court, and many affordable restaurants (including fast food chains like Burger King, Lotteria and Domino’s).

Grand Indonesia, just 5 minutes walking distance, is possibly the busiest mall in Jakarta. It is a medium-to-high-end mall where Jakartans love to hang out. You can find almost everything there. Very good cinema and food court. It is packed on weekends.

Plaza Indonesia, which is opposite Grand Indonesia, is the most luxurious mall in Jakarta. It is home to brands like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, etc. There are also more affordable shops, a supermarket, a cinema, bars, restaurants, etc.

Supermarkets:
Hypermart in Thamrin City (cheap), Ranch Market and FoodHall in Grand Indonesia (expensive, imported products), FoodHall in Plaza Indonesia.

Restaurants:
There are too many restaurants to count them all in Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia. They offer any kind of cuisines that you may like, at any price. Nearer, on the 2nd floor of Thamrin City, there is also a big food court with various Indonesian food stalls. Finally, if you enjoy street food, you will find hundreds of warungs and “kaki limas” near Jalan Kebong Kacang Raya, 5 minutes away from the residence.

Nightlife:
This is not the most central area for partying in Jakarta (go instead to Mega Kuningan or SCBD), but you have a fair number of popular bars around. For instance: Skye, Cloud, Paulaner Brauhaus, Social House, Cork&Screw, Ninety-Nine, Burgundy.

Education:
– University: Jakarta International College
– High school: SMA Santa Theresia
– Preschools: The best ones around are Jakarta World Academy in UOB building and LEAP Preschool. Check also Cimplik Preschool and MyMall (in Thamrin Residences).

Hospitals:
The nearest one is Brawijaya Clinic in UOB building.

Otherwise, the following hospitals are recommended within 15-20 minutes:
SOS Medika Clinic (expensive – international quality)
Siloam Semanggi
Takenoko Clinic (Japanese)
Sahid Sudirman Memorial Hospital

Parks:
The closest is the park surrounding the Monas (National Monument), about 2 kilometers away.

Offices:
Many office buildings are nearby, especially the ones located on Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman: The Plaza, UOB, Wisma Nusantara, etc.

Building Quality

Building and Architecture

What is the reputation of the developer?
Cosmo Mansion and Cosmo Residence were developed by PT Jakarta Realty, a joint venture between two Indonesian companies, Agung Podomoro Land, and PT Jakarta Propertindo. Together, they also own Thamrin Residences, Thamrin Executive, Cosmo Terrace, and the mall Thamrin City.

Agung Podomoro Land (APL) is the largest property developer in Indonesia. It has a fairly good reputation in the midrange segment, though you should be careful because some of their apartments are terrible (for instance: Mediterania Gajah Mada).

PT Jakarta Propertindo is a company owned by the local government (DKI Jakarta). It has developed a few properties such as Mall Pluit Junction, Pulomas Park View, and Landmark Pluit.

Who is the architect?
I’m not 100% sure who was the architect for the project, but it seems to have been the consultancy firm Airmas Asri. They have worked on several high-end towers such as The Capital Building or Pakubowono View.

Who is the contractor?
I didn’t find this information. It was possibly Nusa Raya Cipta, which was the contractor for Cosmo Terrace, Thamrin Residences and Thamrin Executive.

What is the situation with the land certificate?
The developer has a Hak Guna Bangunan Murni, which means the property was built on its own land. As an apartment owner, you get a Strata Title di atas HGB Murni.

Design and Appearance

How does the building look like?

From outside (Facade): Entrance and Lobby:

Car drop off to Cosmo Mansion – Jakarta Residence

Lobby of Cosmo Mansion

Reception desk in the lobby of Cosmo Mansion

Landscaping and Public Areas:
There is a rather large garden and pool between the two towers, on top of Thamrin City:

Pool area in Cosmo Mansion

Pool area of Cosmo Mansion

Sky terrace in Cosmo Mansion

Corridors and Lifts:

Lift in Cosmo Mansion

Lift in Cosmo Mansion

Lift area in Cosmo Mansion

Corridors Cosmo Mansion

Corridors in Cosmo Mansion

Entrance door to apartment in Cosmo Mansion

Size and Type of Apartments

The apartments’ size is approximately the following:

– 1-bedroom units = 38m2 (1bathroom)
– 2-bedroom units = 54m2 (1 bathroom)
– 3-bedroom units = 92m2 (2 bathrooms)
– 3-bedroom units with maid room = 101m2 (3 bathrooms)

Materials and Equipment

What is the quality of the materials, furniture, and equipment used in the construction?
On average, the quality follows the standards of a midrange property:

In common areas:
Tiles lobby: 5.5
Tiles corridor: 5
Painting (wall, ceiling): 6
Lighting fixtures: 6
Doors: 6
Windows: 5
Ceiling: 6
Elevator: 6.5
Gym equipment: 7
Pool equipment: 7
Furniture: 6
Artwork: 5

In the apartments:
Tiles/Parquet: 5.5
Bathroom equipment: 5.5
Kitchen equipment: 5.5

Overall Quality: 5.8/10

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– Swimming pools:

It is long enough for swimming, and the area is quite pleasant. There is also a kids’ pool and a non-heated jacuzzi.

Pool Cosmo Mansion

Swimming Pool of Cosmo Mansion

Pool Cosmo Mansion

Kids pool in Cosmo Mansion

– Gym:

Equipment in gym of Cosmo Mansion

Gym in Cosmo Mansion

Gym of Cosmo Mansion

– Other facilities:

Ping pong table in Cosmo Mansion

Kids playground in Cosmo Mansion

What are the services available within the property?
There are many services available either inside the complex or in Thamrin City: Restaurants, shops, supermarket, minimarket (near the pool), laundry, skin clinic, banks, ATM, salons, spas, etc.

Laundry and clinic in pool area of Cosmo Mansion

Mini market in Cosmo Mansion

Are there issues with the electricity supply?
None that I know of.

Are there issues with parking?
None that I know of.

Are there enough lifts?
Yes.

Atmosphere

How busy is the property?
The mall Thamrin City is crowded and busy, but the residences are a bit more quiet. Still, you will see that there are quite many residents at the pool area in the late afternoon or on weekends.

Is it noisy?
Tanah Abang is a local neighborhood with many mosques. To avoid hearing them, do not stay in the units facing the north of the city.

What is the background of the residents?
It is quite mixed, with Indonesians, Indonesian Chinese, and maybe 20% of foreigners. Among the latter, I noticed a few from India or the Middle East. There are also many tourists who rent an apartment via online platforms like Airbnb.

Management

Maintenance

Are there visible damages?
It is still OK, but you can see it’s a rather old property. In particular, the facade looks a bit worn out:

Overall maintenance rating: 7/10

Cleanliness

I think the property is clean enough.

Overall cleanliness rating: 7.5/10

Gardening

The maintenance of the garden is fine.

Garden maintenance in Cosmo Mansion

Overall gardening rating: 7/10

Security

– Guards: There are 24/7 receptionists or guards at the entrance of the property.
– CCTV cameras: In the lobby and the pool area
– Access: You need an access card to go to your unit

Overall security rating: 8/10

Hospitality

The staff is friendly and professional.

Overall hospitality rating: 8/10

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Cosmo Mansion or Cosmo Residence may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge, parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc.

Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

Studio Type (38m2) – Furnished:

• Rental 1 Year: IDR 84M (or 7M per month)
• Buy: IDR 1,150,000,000
• Break Even Point (Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental): 13.7 years
• Average buying price/m2: IDR 30.3 million/m2

Investment Potential

Reasons to buy:
Very popular location = You are almost certain to find a tenant
Reasonable purchasing price
Return On Investment ratios are higher than average for Jakarta
You can rent it well on platforms like Airbnb

Reasons NOT to buy:
Most units available for sale will need to be refurbished if you want to get decent rents
You should check how much longer is the land certificate valid (you will need to pay something after it expires)

Would I buy this property? (On a scale from 0 = “not at all” to 10 = “yes absolutely” ):
6/10.